My Name is Mitch. Shelagh Lynne Supeene. Victoria, BC: Orca, 2003. 171 pp., pbk., $8.95. ISBN 1-55143-255-2. Grades 5-9 /Ages 10-14. Review by Denise Weir. **** /4 Reviewed from Advance Reading Copy.

excerpt:

Grandpa is often angry at Mum and me. Mum says it is because he thought she shouldn't have had me until she was older, and married. That was eleven years ago, though, and he's still angry.

Mitchell Bryan MacLeod's life isn't easy. A product of a teen pregnancy, Mitchell finds his family life to be filled with tension, and at school he faces constant bullying. Suffering from low self-esteem, Mitch struggles academically, and he must receive additional support from the school's resource teacher.

     However, life can change, and Mitch begins to hope for a happier life. Shrewdly negotiating with popular students and the bullies, Mitch manipulates peer pressure to stop the teasing. Moreover, Mitch's family dynamics are in flux. Mitch's mother announces that she and Dan, her long time boyfriend, are getting married, and Mitch has secretly established contact with Ryan Carrol, his father, who has just moved back to town. Ryan Carrol's ensuing visitation rights and financial support help to heal the MacLeod family's emotional and financial burdens. Mitch's confidence builds, and his academic abilities improve dramatically.

     Supeene's humorous style lightens the serious subject matter. Mitch's sense of humour and artistic abilities give him a positive, loving personality. He is an ordinary boy living a difficult life. As well, Supeene’s realistic and sensitive writing has identified the repercussions of teen pregnancy- parental school dropout, poverty, dysfunctional families, and low self-esteem in children.

     Targeted at youth ages 10 to 14, My Name is Mitch would also be appropriate for older teens or as required reading for a life skills/family life course, or family counseling/therapy sessions. By vicariously experiencing the mistakes of fictional characters, youth and adults are allowed the distance needed to view and discuss the pain of teen pregnancy from various points of view.

     This type of bibliotherapy may help youth and their families make the positive decisions they need to ensure their emotional, financial, and familial well being.

Highly Recommended.

Located in Brandon, MB, Denise Weir is a consultant with Manitoba Culture Heritage and Tourism, Public Library Services.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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